The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) has announced the launch of the Great Plains Grassland Fund, a public–private conservation initiative backed by an initial $18 million in joint capital commitments.
The fund is established through a $9 million philanthropic grant from the Walmart Foundation, matched by an additional $9 million in aligned funding from McDonald’s USA and several of its primary beef and beverage suppliers.
The capital mechanism is designed to protect and regenerate intact grasslands across the US Great Plains, combining voluntary land conservation strategies with technical assistance for working ranches.
Strategic goals and operational targets for the fund include:
- Land protection targets: Securing permanent conservation easements across 150,000 to 200,000 acres of high-conservation-value grasslands facing conversion risks.
- Regenerative management: Assisting ranching operators to implement regenerative agricultural practices across an additional 150,000 to 200,000 acres of working lands.
- Habitat & water protection: Preserving critical wildlife migration corridors and improving watershed quality across host rural communities.
- Capital allocation: Issuing an initial competitive Request for Proposals (RFP) for up to $10 million in project grants, with first-round awards scheduled for announcement in 2027.
Jeff Trandahl, Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of NFWF, stated that the fund creates a scalable framework for public and private partners to support rancher-led conservation while protecting vital food supply chains.
Julie Gehrki, Senior Vice President at Walmart and President of the Walmart Foundation, and Cesar Piña, Senior Vice President and Chief Supply Chain Officer for North America at McDonald’s USA, noted that cross-industry collaboration is essential to building long-term resilience across North American agricultural supply chains and preserving rural economies.
